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Printed letters, Feb. 23, 2010

In response to the letter by C. Paul Brown stating that Laura Bradford is a savior of small business in Colorado for having pushed through legislation that could allow full-strength beer to be sold at convenience stores, I beg to differ. At the hearing for HB 1186, Laura ran up her true colors, torpedoing small businesses in this equation: the liquor stores.

Laura is part of a group of elected officials who cast a blind eye to the only relevant research done on the likely outcome of changing the laws related to beverage alcohol in this state. They even refuse to utilize data provided by the state of Colorado and the distributors, which clearly states that sales of 3.2 beer are nonexistent and the average convenience store has only lost $50 a month since Sunday sales began in July of 2008.

In a nutshell, there are two liquor stores for every 10,000 residents in Colorado. In states where the convenience stores and grocery stores participate in the sale of full-strength beer, there is one store per 10,000 residents. Change the law to add grocers and convenience stores to the mix, and 700 liquor stores go out of business within three years, along with 300 more within five years. Colorado ends up with 1 liquor store per 10,000 people, just like other states.

Perhaps I could live with HB 1186 if the state eliminated 3.2 beer from the grocery stores and made a long-term commitment to take grocers out of the equation. Also, some limits should be placed on the total number of strong beer licenses any corporate entity could have and minors cannot be allowed to ring up sales.

I don’t believe this should be treated like the medical marijuana dispensaries, where the state didn’t set up a framework to properly establish distribution and we ended up with 32 stores in Grand Junction alone with none remotely resembling a pharmacist.

Every convenience store or grocery, individual or corporation has the right to have one liquor-store license, just like the liquor stores. Part of the problem is they don’t want to play by the same rules as those who invested in off-premise licenses. Sad to say, as long as they get what they want, the convenience stores, along with some of our elected officials, don’t care who gets hurt.

JERRY SICA

Crossroads Wine and Spirits

Grand Junction

City wasting money on unnecessary efforts

It’s too bad the city has had to cut its budget again. It’s too bad the economic outlook doesn’t look good for the foreseeable future. It’s good to know the City Council has completed a 25-year growth plan. It’s good to know they have big development plans for Grand and Ouray avenues.

I guess the desperate need to scrape up any additional money to build a police station is a thing of the past. Let’s talk about a new library and a new parking garage.

The city manager is supposed to be a professional adviser. Why would she ever waste money, even grant money, on such foolishness? The concept of priorities seems to have eluded the manager and the council.

GENE KINSEY

Grand Junction

Republicans need Tea Party support

How wise are the powers that be in the Republican machine? If they want to keep the Tea Party supporters, they should be sure all conservative candidates have a fair chance at being on the ballot. They should even consider backing some of the Tea Party choices.

Tea Party people are not cats to be herded. We are capable, independent thinkers able to make informed choices. Please treat us that way.

When they pick the candidates and force all conservatives to vote for their choices, they take away any other choice we have. That may work well for them in this year’s election, but what about the next? Without Tea Party support the only winners will be the statists, not the Republicans and especially not the people of this country. Is that what they really want?